guys need some motivational help
C.P
increase, but i am getting impatient for some results. will be on this prog
for another month then i will change to a 3 day split of legs, back n bi's
and chest,shoulders and tri's.
i think a major part of my struggle is not being able to do squats at the
moment due to my knee. i am however continuing to do well with my 20 rep
SLDL's up to 160lbs with only 1-2 periods of a few seconds rest. i know the
weight isn't much, please don't laugh!
just hoping maybe some of u experienced guys can give me some extra
motivation and a few handy tips.
cheers
Neal Fabian
The problem with a forum like this one, is that the poster usually
doesn't give enough information, to get a complete answer to his
question. That's the case here. I don't know what your routine
consists of, how long you've been training, your height/weight, your
diet, how long your knee has been a problem, and what kind of progress
you are actually making, i.e., how much weight you have gained in say
the last three months, if gaining weight is your goal, and how much
your lifts have gone up in the same period.
You wrote that you've seen a few pounds of an increase, presumably in
the amount of weight you're lifting. An increase is an increase. You
didn't say how much of an increase; maybe it's about what can be
expected. Even if you're a beginner, muscle mass doesn't come fast.
It's extremely unlikely, that changing from a two day to a three day
split alone, is going to make any dramatic difference in your
progress.
If you can't do squats because you have a bad knee, that means that
you probably can't do conventional deadlifts either, so you are not
doing either of the two best mass builders. That IS likely to affect
your progress. BTW, high rep SLDL's are not a substitute for
conventional deads, as a mass builder. They are a good exercise for
the lower back and hams IF you are doing squats, but you're not.
Squats are a must in your routine, but obviously you'll have to wait
until your knee is rehabbed. Until then, you just have to do what you
can do, but don't expect great progress when you really aren't doing
any true mass building movements, except the bench (I'm sure you're
doing that). The only hint I can offer is to experiment with the
conventional deadlift, using an extremely light weight to start, and
determine whether or not, by relying primarily on your back, not your
legs, and adjusting the angle of your feet, you can perform it,
without aggravating your knee. If you want details, there's a section
on that in my training program. If the knee hurts, even a little,
stop. Instead, continue with the SLDL's but increase your weight to
the heaviest you can handle for three maximal sets, something like 8,
7, and 5 reps. Remember, the heavier the weight, the more careful you
have to be, particularly with your lower back.
Good luck
My complete training program, ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
ABOUT DEVELOPING YOUR BODY is up on my website
Neal Fabian
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C Jeff F
"C.P" wrote:
>
> been on this two day split for a month now, and i have seen a few lbs of an
> increase, but i am getting impatient for some results. will be on this prog
> for another month then i will change to a 3 day split of legs, back n bi's
> and chest,shoulders and tri's.
Stick with it. Sometimes progress is slow then it may come in a spurt.
Make sure to get enough sleep and take reasonable breaks between sets.
> i think a major part of my struggle is not being able to do squats at the
> moment due to my knee. i am however continuing to do well with my 20 rep
> SLDL's up to 160lbs with only 1-2 periods of a few seconds rest. i know the
> weight isn't much, please don't laugh!
That's sounds OK to me. I haven't done more than 10-12 reps on anything in
a while. What did you do to your knee, CP? How is it doing now?
> just hoping maybe some of u experienced guys can give me some extra
> motivation and a few handy tips.
>
> cheers
Jeff out ...
C.P
going ok, it is feeling better, need to stick with the stretch's and
exercise the physio gave me
Neal Fabian
> squats - if my knee was ok
> sldl
> calf raises
> lat pulldown
> seated row
> bent over raise
> arm curl
> ab work
> day 2
> pec dec - pre fatigue pecs
> incline press
> bench press
> shoulder press
> lateral raise and shrugs supersetted
> over head single tri extensions
> ab work
>
> i weigh 168lbs around 5 ft 11.5 or 6ft. been training for a few years on and
> off, started much more regular now for the last month keeping a diary. in
> the last month i have added a up to 7lbs of body weight.i eat as much as i
> can when i can, with regards work it can sometimes be difficult to eat all
> the time. but i do my best not to feel hungry. lifts have gone up slightly
> it all depends when i can train in regards to when I've worked and if im
> training after a shift.i try to work my muscles to there full capacity each
> session though. i am doing a 3 set of 15,12,12 reps. as much weight as i can
> for 15 reps, 90s rest then i go again, which i normally get around 12 90s
> rest again drop the weight down one and go at it again to manage the 12
> reps. if i can do more than what i have motioned as far as reps go i do
> more. then in the next session i will try i heavier load.
I think we've covered the matter of squats and deadlifts, relative to
your knee problem.
I hate reworking someone's routine, because for one thing, it is
usually put together in a hodgepodge fashion, exercises are usually
not in the best order, and the best, most effective movements are
usually not the ones that are chosen.
Your program certainly isn't awful, but there are some things that
aren't right. First, why do you think you need to pre-fatigue your
pecs? Maybe you do, but I wondered. Weighted chins would be a better
choice over lat pulldowns, it's simply a more effective exercise.
You're overworking your lateral delts. You don't need tri extensions,
you're getting in plenty of tri work in your presses.
If you haven't already, go look at the two-day split in my program, on
my website. It's carefully put together, and everything is spelled
out. It will be a huge improvement over what you are doing.
An increase of seven pounds in body weight in only a month, is a
substantial increase. At 168 and 6 feet, you're slender, and you want
more weight, but you want it as muscle mass. Try to keep at least
some reasonable track of you daily caloric intake, and maintain some
control. If you want to gain weight, and you do, add about 500
calories a day to whatever it takes to just maintain your present
weight, and see how it goes. If eating enough is a problem, it helps
a lot to drink some of your meals. Finally, you should cut your reps
by at least 30%, and increase the weights accordingly.
I strongly urge you to read and learn my program, it's a far better
way to go than asking sporadic questions, and trying to piece together
a program that will be optimally effective.